1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a holder for tools and other objects substantially including at least one rail having a uniform cross section along its longitudinal dimension and a plurality of holding devices fastened thereto. Each holding device is formed by a strip of determined length and width which is produced from resilient material and has fastening means at both ends, which fastening means are adapted to the rail and constructed for arrangement thereon, the holding device being bent in a U-shape and fastened at the rail so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the rail by its ends which form legs.
2. Background Art
Such a holder can be used .to hold and store tools in particular, but also other objects which, depending on their size and/or shape, are either hung and inserted in the U-shaped strips or are pressed in between contacting legs of adjacent U-shaped strips. Tools in the form of pliers can also be hung in such a U-shaped strip by one of the handles, the other handle being arranged outside the U-shaped strip, so that the tool "rides", as it were, or straddles the upper edge of the U-shaped strip.
The distinguishing feature of such a holder which has a plurality of strips which are bent in a U-shape consists in particular in that tools of a wide range of sizes and shapes can be held on or in it. Of course, the structural dimensions of the strips or the holder as a whole also play a part in this. For example, when the strip-shaped holding devices are of sufficient size, gardening implements can also be fastened to or held by such a holder, specifically in such a way that the implement itself stands on the floor of a room, but is inserted by its handle between the holding devices of a holder fastened at a certain height on the wall of this room.
Another special feature of such a holder consists in that its holding capability is further increased as the number of objects inserted between the holding devices increases. This is because the U-shaped strips are arranged so as to be displaceable at the rail by fastening means constructed at their two ends, i.e. when an object is pressed between two holding devices, these two holding devices move together with their adjacently contacting legs and are displaced in the rail.
This is also the reason why objects of different thickness can be fastened at the holder without overburdening the legs of the holder.
However, this displaceable design of the legs of the holding devices in the rail has the disadvantage that when objects having only a few small dimensions are fastened between the holding devices the spring force between the latter is not sufficient to hold the objects permanently, particularly when such a holder is provided, for example, in vehicles which are exposed to constant vibrations when driving.
To solve this problem it has already been suggested in the German Patent 34 90 321 to insert inside each U-shaped holding device a separate, smaller supporting member formed by a resilient body which is also bent in a U-shape and whose legs contact the inner sides of the holding device in such a way that the supporting member increases the pressing force acting on the object fastened in the holder.
Although this combination of a holding device with a supporting member which is arranged inside the latter and has an appearance very similar to that of the holding device overcomes the disadvantage described above, it has the further disadvantage that the interior of the holding device is reduced in size and filled up in such a way that the hanging of a tool having two handle parts, e.g. pliers, which was described above is more difficult or even impossible.
This disadvantage is avoided in a holder described in EP 0 211 018 in that the gripping jaws which are constructed as strips are more elastically resilient at their flanks and increasingly so toward the base than in their curved center part and in that the strips of resilient material forming the holding devices have a wider center part so that the resisting moment or section modulus is greater in this center part than at the two end portions forming the legs of the U shape.
The wider construction of the strips in their center region gives the narrower ends of the respective strips a greater spreading inclination and accordingly increases the springing or clamping force between the respective holding devices.
However, this construction has the disadvantage that tools, e.g. pliers, which are hung by means of these holding devices tend to slip laterally because of the curved construction in particular of the upper edge of the U-shaped strip serving to support the tool, i.e. the tool does not remain in the center of the U-shaped center part of the holding device, but rather shifts in the direction of the next holding device located to the right or left of the latter and accordingly prevents the free insertion of another object, e.g. a screw driver, between the legs of two such adjacent holding devices.